Referee Michael Oliver will officiate a Premier League game this weekend despite facing death threats and ‘abhorrent’ abuse after controversially sending off Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, it has been confirmed.
Oliver, 39, and his family were subjected to threats in the wake of last Saturday’s match at Wolves and the police have launched an investigation, with the unit leading the probe already in communication with social media companies.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for officiating in England, said it involved the police after Oliver, his partner and their young child were targeted by sickening abuse from anonymous online trolls.
Keith Hackett, the former PGMOL head, suggested that Oliver should be stood down. ‘I’d be saying to Michael Oliver, I think you need a rest and I think you’re not going to see another game in the Premier League for a couple of weeks,’ he told talkSPORT.
But Oliver is said to have told his PGMOL and UEFA bosses that he wanted to carry on and he will take charge of Ipswich v Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
He has also been given the rescheduled Merseyside derby fixture at Goodison Park on February 12, the first game having been postponed due to Storm Darragh.
Michael Oliver will referee a Premier League game this weekend despite facing death threats
Oliver controversially sent off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly during their 1-0 win at Wolves
The official and his family have since been subjected to vile threats from anonymous trolls
As revealed by Mail Sport, when Oliver woke on Sunday morning, the day after Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Molineux, he discovered there was a police car in his street. He and his partner, Laura, were told the police were there to check on their safety.
There had been a death threat made against Oliver and his two-year-old daughter, and the Metropolitan Police passed the issue on to the referee’s local force.
Three weeks ago, Oliver was also told by a troll that they would blow up his car with his family inside it. Today, The i Paper have claimed people previously turned up at his house and shouted abuse through his letterbox.
A statement from PGMOL on Sunday read: ‘We are appalled by the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver following the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal fixture.
‘No official should be subject to any form of abuse, let alone the abhorrent attacks aimed at Michael and his family over the past 24 hours.
‘The police are aware, and a number of investigations have commenced.
‘We are supporting Michael, and all those affected, and are determined to tackle this unacceptable behaviour. Sadly, this is not the first time a match official has been forced to deal with threats in recent times.’
Oliver had shown Arsenal teenage Lewis-Skelly a straight red card during the first half of the match at Molineux after his cynical challenge on Wolves’ Matt Doherty.
Teenager Lewis-Skelly was shown a straight red card for this challenge on Matt Doherty
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he was ‘fuming’ and expected the decision to be overturned
The PGMOL released this statement condemning threats that have been sent to Oliver
The Premier League’s match centre described the tackle as ‘serious foul play’ and said VAR Darren England checked and confirmed Oliver’s on-field decision.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta declined to directly criticise Oliver post-match but vented his anger at the decision. ‘I am absolutely fuming,’ he said. He also indicated he expects Lewis-Skelly’s decision to be overturned by the Football Association.
‘I think it is that obvious that we don’t need any comment today and hopefully the right thing will happen,’ Arteta added.
‘Hopefully we don’t need to (appeal the decision) and if we have to, there is a really good precedent, what happened with Bruno [Fernandes] this season as well.
‘OK, we were in a position that we shouldn’t be in, at least let’s be in a position that we should be in for the next few weeks and allow that player to continue to his job.’
